23% of the homeless population are veterans, according to the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs. This is something we must also think about this Memorial Day Weekend, and the rest of our lives. But specifically this weekend, when we honor those who have sacrificed their lives for a greater cause, for a greater life for all of us, we must not forget the families and friends of those soldiers who have gone to a better place; we must also not forget those veterans that are still with us, suffering from anxiety, PTSD, alienation, disconnection, and from the neglect and proper care that causes many to spend nighttimes, which should be peaceful as a contrast to the chaos experienced in battle, on the streets in a state of homelessness.
When I was a child, my father, who served for his country, told me that a lot of the homeless population were ex-soldiers. I don’t remember exactly what age I was when he told me this—eight, maybe nine, ten?—but I remember thinking it odd. I was trying to picture the bound-in-wheelchair dirty-skinned, long gray-bearded guy begging for money…in combat gear, and my mind could not make the connection. However, as more time passed, I grew and so did comprehension in matters of the heart; I could not let go of my father’s words and the two images faded into one. It would be one of those messages that would never leave me. The message was inherent in my father’s tone. There was a softness in his voice as he said it. Perhaps it was a reflection on his past, or a vision or knowledge of a comrade who had not come out as fortunate as he. Whatever it was, his concern was emphatic in that softness.
I am not going to pretend I have been some champion of the homeless cause in my life or write a reflection on the topic to make it seem like I have dedicated a great amount of time to serving the homeless or given a large amount of my money to shelters. However, I will be disappointed in myself if at some point I don’t get more involved. I can say that I say a prayer when I pass by homeless persons, that God may comfort them, give them strength, and help them with any afflictions.
Another conversation that has never left my mind nor heart was one with my friend Debbie when she asked, “What if that homeless person is Jesus, and we are completely neglecting Him?” I’ve read that question asked by other people since, and as farfetched as it may seem, I do think it is something to consider, even if you can only consider it in the symbolic sense. Further, if that homeless person is a veteran, is his or her sacrifice not analogous to Jesus’ for us? One sacrifices for his or her country—in its purest form a symbol of freedom and the possibility of the American Dream—and the other so that we might have eternal life. This is not to say the two are equal or that I am “rah-rah America and everyone else is bad,” but love is sacrifice. So again, such a question is not so farfetched.
But on this Memorial Day Weekend, it is easy for all of us to be grateful for the extra day off to spend with family and friends. But it would not be right for us not to take a moment and at least say a prayer or reflect on our extended family members, the ones who have done the fighting for us, and their family members who have been left behind. And there are the veterans who have had parts of their physical and psychological lives taken away because of their sacrifices. It is sad to know that any given night over 100,000 veterans are homeless. So over 100,000 people who made the decision, or had the decision thrust upon them by the bigger entity to fight for the bigger entity, have been somewhat forgotten by all of us. No one should have to live on the streets, especially not a veteran.
So it would be nice if at some point this weekend, we could all reflect upon servicemen and women, deceased or still living, and acknowledge the sacrifice.
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